Early in Rep. Mike Honda’s op-ed (Opinion, Sept. 16), he writes that he takes full responsibility for his staff’s missteps and oversights revealed in the Office of Congressional Ethics report, and then he spends the next several paragraphs explaining why he’s not really taking responsibility. Overall, Honda has been an OK congressman, albeit not one who’s accomplished too much. However, those of us in Silicon Valley deserve better than an adequate politician who doesn’t accept responsibility with grace.

Mark Robichek

Sunnyvale

Honda either lying or totally out of touch

Rep. Mike Honda claims that the OCE report draws no conclusions; however, the report clearly states that there is substantial reason to believe major violations occurred. There is a plethora of evidence that points to Honda using his office’s resources for his campaign and wooing previous donors with special treatment.

The fact that he’s brushing these serious allegations off is unacceptable. Not only that, but he doesn’t seem to see treating some select constituents better than others as unethical.

Honda also claims that he was unaware of any violations and that all breaches were clerical errors. If he’s lying, then he and his staff have committed a major ethics violation and broken the law. If he’s not, then this is a man who is out of touch with his office and staff. A man who cannot keep his office running ethically and honestly is not someone we want as our congressman.

Tamara Pantic

Santa Clara

Police, guards need to brush up on Zimbardo

Every police person, sheriff, and prison guard should be required to view Philip Zimbardo’s study of the dynamic between prisoner and guard in order to inoculate them from similar behavior.

Ann Foster

Redwood City

Parcel tax could be key to restoring wetlands

Denis Cuff’s article on the threat rising sea levels pose to the San Francisco Bay and Delta wetlands highlights well why wetlands restoration is good for the health of the bay and critical to addressing the $10-billion flood risk rising sea levels pose to the heart of Silicon Valley.

A Bay Area-wide parcel tax could be a critical step in restoring our wetlands as natural flood barriers and important ecosystems and in securing our robust and vibrant economy here in Silicon Valley.

The Silicon Valley Leadership Group and our members stand ready to engage on a regional campaign to help secure the resources necessary to address this critical issue.

Sarah Qureshi

Associate, Energy and Environment Silicon Valley Leadership Group

Forget Fiorina’s face; focus on HP record

Donald Trump’s idiotic comments about Carly Fiorina’s face simply deflect attention from what matters — her record as CEO of Hewlett-Packard. What does it show? During her tenure (1999-2005), HP’s stock price fell more than 60 percent, earnings declined 23 percent and the company recorded its first-ever annual loss (more than $1 billion, in 2002) after 60 years of profitability. Most of this was triggered by her acquisition of Compaq Computer, which caused the kind of choking fit Dave Packard always warned against when he rejected similar proposals. The move was strongly opposed by both the Hewlett and Packard families in a contentious proxy fight that ripped at the heart of the company. She then laid off 30,000 employees. The day after she was fired, HP stock value soared nearly 7 percent on massive trading volume. Those are the facts the candidates should be discussing.

Roy Verley

Aptos

Is Trump’s bankruptcy experience a plus?

Carly Fiorina (Page 1A, Sept. 18) and other rivals criticize Donald Trump for taking advantage of U.S. tax laws in declaring corporate bankruptcy. Maybe such experience is an advantage for a president. We desperately need someone to deal with the finances of our bankrupt nation.